A Lurlinemas Miracle
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: On Lurlinemas day, seven years after Elphaba and Fiyero left Oz, they can't find their son anywhere. Never had they imagined that Xalo would lead them to the biggest present they had ever received for Lurlinemas. One-shot. Fiyeraba.


**A Lurlinemas Miracle**

There were a lot of things not many people knew about the Wicked Witch of the West. Even before gaining her infamous title, Elphaba had never been a very trusting or open person and only a handful of people really knew her well. Most of those people were dead by now. Another had been turned to tin and was happily under the impression that he had helped murder her. The only other person had run away from his beautiful fiancée and a rich and luxurious life, only to sacrifice himself for Elphaba, get turned into straw, then back into a human again; and he was currently unpacking Lurlinemas presents under a small tree with their two-year-old daughter and six-year-old son.

Of all the people who had known her, all the people she had wronged, she thought he was the one most justified to hate her; but for some strange reason, he didn't. For some incredible and weird reason, he had stayed by her side despite everything she had done to him. He still loved her and he said he always would. He'd proven that to her by marrying her, here in this big city in Ix, and by starting a family with her. He'd spent the past seven years trying to convince her of all the things she had never in her life had a reason to believe before – that she was loved, that she was beautiful, and that everything was going to be all right.

There were also things, however, that even he did not know about her. She'd never told him exactly what her father had sometimes done to her when she was a little girl. She didn't want him to know because he would only worry about her and he just wouldn't understand that it didn't matter anymore now. There were smaller things, too – little things they had only discovered about one another after they had settled in Ix together and started somewhat of a normal life, such as the fact that Fiyero's favourite season was summer or the fact that Elphaba hated artichokes with a passion (and not just because she had been nicknamed after them by her peers when she was younger). That, she sometimes thought, more than anything, convinced her of the fact that this was real, because it felt so _normal_ to be together as a couple and learn these little things about one another. They were together now and even though it still hurt that Glinda didn't – couldn't – know they were alive and she had many regrets, she was happier than she had ever been.

One of the things Fiyero had not learned about her until a couple of months after they had run away together was the fact that she absolutely loved Lurlinemas. Frankly, he had been surprised, which was the reason why she'd never told anyone. It seemed so frivolous, a holiday with trees and lights and decorations, presents and food; and if there was anything Elphaba Tiggular was not, it was frivolous.

Much to her amazement, however, Fiyero had somehow understood it almost right after his initial surprise had passed. "It's the sentiment, isn't it?" he'd asked her. "You loving Lurlinemas has nothing to do with the presents or the food or the decorations. You love Lurlinemas because it's a time to be together with friends and family, a time to be tolerant and kind to one another, and that's something you've never really known before."

She may have never known it before, but she knew it now. The past seven Lurlinemases had each been more wonderful than all the other Lurlinemases in her life combined – Fiyero had made sure of that. Finally, the holiday was what she had always imagined it to be like: it was a time for friends and family, joy and laughter, happiness and warmth. The first year, it had just been her and Fiyero, and she remembered the Lurlinemas surprise she'd had for him back then. Of course there had been a lot of love going around between the two of them after she had managed to turn him back into a human and so it shouldn't really have been a surprise that she was pregnant, but it was – for both of them. It was a pleasant surprise, though, and it turned even better – and more surprising – when it turned out that there were actually _two_ surprises growing inside of her.

Of course it had complicated things as well. They barely had any money and although Elphaba was working in the local library and Fiyero had found himself a job in a carpenter shop in the city's main street, they knew it would be complicated to make things work. Elphaba somehow managed to keep working all throughout her pregnancy, which of course, with her luck, resulted in her going into labour in the library. Her co-worker had sent for Fiyero and the doctor immediately and the twins had been born among shelves of books, which was something they still joked about these days.

She'd had to stay at home after that to care for Bae and Xalo and Fiyero had taken up extra hours at the shop, meaning they hardly got to see one another anymore. It was hard, but they had pulled through, even managing to save some money, which had come in handy when their daughter had been born two years ago. Now, Elphaba had a job as a teacher at the elementary school and she and Fiyero managed to plan their work so that someone was home to watch the kids all the time. Luckily, they had some very friendly neighbours – some of them Animal – who were willing to look after the children for a few hours every now and then, too, which definitely helped. All in all, they were content. More than that – they were happy. She'd never thought she would say it, but she didn't even mind the fact that Xalo was green.

He and Bae were a lot alike. Her black hair, but Fiyero's bright blue eyes. They were the same height and had the same posture. Their facial features were a little different, but not much. The only real difference between them was the fact that Xalo had green skin, while Bae's was fair like his father's. Here in Ix, however, there were so many strange people walking around, especially in the big cities, that Xalo – or Elphaba, for that matter – was hardly spared a second glance. Maybe that was also why Elphaba didn't mind so much that her son was green. She'd been afraid that he would be tormented, like she had been; but the one time a classmate of his had bothered him about it, he had punched the boy in the face and that was that. No-one dared to say another thing afterwards.

Not that that was the way she would have preferred him to deal with the situation. She'd taken him apart and asked him about it, but he had simply said in utter confusion that that was what Daddy had taught him – if someone says something mean, punch him. Needless to say Fiyero had received the silent treatment from his wife when he got home that night and had to endure a rather lengthy admonishment once the children had been put to bed.

"Mummy," Bae interrupted her thoughts. "Where is Xalo? He said he'd come open presents with us."

"He's bringing a cherry pie to Mr and Mrs Dorling," she told him. She'd been hesitant to let Xalo go alone, but he'd begged her to let him bring the pie to their elderly neighbours and Fiyero had reasoned that he would only be next door and he should be perfectly capable of doing that on his own. Then she'd wanted to send Bae with him, but her other son had stubbornly crossed his arms and declared he didn't want to go out in the cold, so Xalo had ended up going alone after all. "He should be back soon, sweetie. Why don't you wait for him?"

Bae sulked. Little Rosey grabbed one of the lower branches of the tree and tugged at it; only a quick reaction from Fiyero saved some baubles from falling to the floor. "Fae, shouldn't he have been back by now?" he asked as he pulled their daughter into his lap, worry clouding his blue eyes. "He's been gone for nearly twenty minutes already."

She frowned at him. "You told me five minutes ago that he was already six years old, he was fine, and Mrs Dorling was probably just letting him taste the pie and all the things she herself made for Lurlinemas," she reminded him, but he didn't look any less worried.

"I know," he said. "But then I thought… she wouldn't keep him that long. She's a mother herself – she knows how worried parents get about their children, especially if said children are six years old and going out on their own for the first time. She'd have sent him back by now."

Elphaba tried to ignore the cold shivers of fear that crept up her spine. "Stay here," she ordered him. "Keep an eye on Bae and Rosey. I'll go look for him."

Wrapping her thick cardigan tightly around her, she hurried through the snow over the Mr and Mrs Dorling's home. Slipping in through the back door – something Mrs Dorling had always urged her to do, rather than ring the doorbell – she called, "Hello?"

As she had expected, Mrs Dorling came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. Her neighbour always made a huge feast for Lurlinemas, especially since she and her husband had five children and at this point in time seven grandchildren, so there were a lot of mouths to feed. They always invited the Tiggulars over as well, but they usually politely declined, not wanting to crash the Dorlings' family celebration.

"Hello, dearie!" the woman greeted her warmly, smiling. "How are you? Did little Xalo tell you I still had some things here for you? I would have just given my oven dish to him to bring to you, but I was afraid it would be too heavy for him, so I told him he should send you or your husband instead."

Elphaba shook her head, a sense of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. If Xalo wasn't here, then where could he possibly be? Familiar fears shot through her head – things to do with someone seeing her son's green skin and connecting the dots, visions of Xalo being kidnapped and taken to Oz, of Gale Force bursting through their door and capturing – or worse, killing – them all…

"We thought he was still with you," she whispered, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. "But if he has already left…"

Mrs Dorling looked sympathetic. "Oh, dear. Don't worry too much, Elphaba," she said gently, touching the green girl's arm. "Little boys disappear all the time, but they usually turn out quite all right. It's daytime and there are a lot of people milling about. Someone will see him and bring him back to you, I'm sure, or he might just return by himself. Maybe he saw something interesting on his way back. At that age, they get distracted by literally everything." She laughed, but Elphaba couldn't even manage a smile. She thanked the older woman and then sped outside again, ignoring the biting cold as she looked around and tried her hardest not to panic.

"Xalo!" she shouted, turning around in a circle. There were hardly any people outside; most of them were at home, celebrating Lurlinemas with their families. "Xalo!"

"Are you looking for your son, Elphaba?" a neighbour from across the street called as he came walking around the corner. He pointed over his shoulder. "I saw him heading in that direction a while ago with some lady I've never seen before. I thought she had to be a friend of yours."

Elphaba's heartbeat sped up in fear. A lady he'd never seen before. She ran around the corner, nearly slipping on a patch of ice. In the distance, she could see her son, standing there talking to someone. Relief washed over her, even though the danger hadn't passed yet, and she called out to him. "Xalo! For goodness' sake, you nearly gave your father and me a heart attack! I told you to come back straight after bringing Mrs Dorling that pie!"

"But Mummy!" he said, looking excited. "This lady says she knows you!"

Elphaba could have sworn her heart stopped for a moment, but she tried not to let it show. "Come here right now," she ordered and her son moved closer to her, his shoulders drooping. She quickly pulled him into her arms and tried to steer him away from the lady, but said lady suddenly took a step forward.

"I know it's you, Elphie."

It was the nickname that did it. The dark-haired witch froze, still holding Xalo in a death grip. Slowly, hardly daring to believe her ears, she turned around… only to find Glinda smiling sadly at her.

"I couldn't believe it at first," the blonde said quietly, taking a step closer. "But I was here in the city a while ago on a diplomatic mission to Ix and as I was taking a walk, I would have sworn I saw a glimpse of a green child at the school. I asked one of the other children and he told me about Xalo Tiggular… and I knew it had to be you. It took me a while to find out where you lived, but I was just around here, searching for the address I was given, when I saw Xalo." She smiled at the young boy. "He's beautiful, Elphie."

Elphaba, meanwhile, was still gawking at her best friend; and Glinda tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Don't stare, Elphaba. It's rude."

The green girl shook her head, lost for words. She wanted to apologise for leaving her friend in the dark and for all the things she'd done to her, she wanted to hug Glinda so tightly she couldn't breathe, she wanted to tell her how proud she was of her for what she'd done for Oz, she wanted to ask how she was doing… but no sound came out. The only thing she eventually managed was a choked, "Glinda…"

All of a sudden, the blonde's eyes filled with tears. "Sweet Oz, Elphie, I… I thought you were dead…"

And then young Xalo watched in amazement and utter confusion how his mother and the strange blonde woman suddenly flew into each other's arms, both of them crying.

"I'm so sorry, Glin," Elphaba said, her voice breaking, and Glinda hugged her even tighter.

"I don't even care right now," she said with a small laugh. "I know I should be angry with you for not telling me you were alive all this time, but… but right now I'm just so glad to see you _are_ alive. Oh, Elphie, I've missed you so much, you have no idea!"

"I think I do have an idea, Glin," said Elphaba with a sad smile. "About as much as I missed you, probably. But we _couldn't_ tell you. I hope you can understand that. You'd be in danger, knowing, and we couldn't do that to you… it was better for everyone for you to think we were dead, just like the rest of Oz thinks."

"But you're not," Glinda whispered. "You have a son – you have a _family_ , Elphie…"

Elphaba cracked a grin. "Oh, this son is just the tip of the iceberg."

Glinda's eyes bulged. "You have more kids?"

"Three," Elphaba told her. "Xalo here has a twin brother, Bae; and a little sister, Roselin – or Rosey, as we call her."

"Roselin," Glinda echoed. "Rose for Nessarose, and Lin…"

"For you, of course," said Elphaba and that caused her friend to throw her arms around the green girl once again in another tight hug.

Once she let go again, Elphaba crouched down next to her son. "Xalo," she said, looking up at Glinda, "this is Auntie Glinda. You know who that is, don't you?"

His eyes lit up. " _This_ is Auntie Glinda?" He straightened and held out his hand in a very mature gesture. "It's a pleasure, Auntie Glinda," he said, which made Glinda laugh in delight even as she shook his hand and then stooped down to hug him.

"Oh, Elphie, he already reminds me of you," she said, pulling away to look at the little boy. "How does he know about me?"

"From Mummy and Daddy's stories," he told her. "Did you really want to marry Daddy?"

Glinda flushed and Elphaba tried to stifle laughter at that. "Come," she said, linking her arm with her best friend's. "I'll take you home, to introduce you to the rest of the family. Fiyero will get a heart attack," she predicted, making Glinda giggle. "You didn't bring any guards, did you?"

The blonde scoffed. "Do you think I am stupid, Elphie? I'm not bringing any guards with me when I go in search of my wicked, fugitive, believed-to-be-dead, wanted, and criminal best friend!"

Elphaba threw her head back and cackled, which made the blonde grimace, but Xalo just laughed and took his mother's hand. "Are you not angry with me anymore, then, Mummy?" he asked hopefully and she gave him a stern look, then softened.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not angry with you anymore. But you have to promise me not to wander off next time," she warned him and he nodded obediently.

"Yes, Mummy."

They talked a lot as they walked – or, well, Glinda mostly talked and Elphaba listened, still completely baffled by her friend's sudden appearance here. The blonde prattled on about how she couldn't believe Elphaba and Fiyero were still alive and that they had a family now, it was just such a strange idea, but wonderful, too, and then she proceeded to tell Elphaba about the man she herself was currently dating – a young man named Corrin. They reached the Tiggulars' home soon thereafter and Xalo burst through the door. "Daddy!"

"Oh, thank Oz," Elphaba heard him mutter and when she came in, he was holding his son tightly. He looked up at her. "You found him? I went to Mrs Dorling when you didn't come back," he said, "but she said you'd already been there. I suspected you'd go looking for him, but I was worried."

She rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course you were." She sighed. "Well, yes, Xalo is all right, thankfully. I found him talking to some stranger." She smiled a little at the look of his face. "A stranger for _him_ , anyway. Not for us."

Glinda came in then, squealing loudly when she saw Fiyero. "Fifi!" She launched herself at him in a hug. "You really are alive! Both of you! Oh my _Oz_ , how did you do that? What happened? You need to tell me everything! Oh!" she went on in a single breath. "These must be your other children! Hello, Bae… and hello, Roselin." She beamed at the young girl, who reached out and wound her hand through Glinda's blonde curls. The woman winced, but simply gently pried Rosey's fingers loose and swept the two-year-old up in her arms. "They're so beautiful! I can see a lot of you both in them," she noted. "Close your mouth, Fiyero. Gawking at a lady is a very unbecoming thing to do for a prince."

"I know," Elphaba told her husband. "That's how I felt."

Once again, Glinda explained how she had come to find them. She already started asking them a thousand questions, but Elphaba held up a hand to silence her.

"Glin," she said. "Let's save that conversation for tonight, when the kids are asleep… okay?" She smiled at her best friend. "How do you feel about celebrating Lurlinemas with us?" she asked. "We have a lot of food, both made ourselves and made by our neighbours, and there are presents… I know you always loved Lurlinemas just about as much as I did."

Glinda beamed at her. "I'd love that."

The children crowded around her, asking her about herself. They all sang songs by the tree and finally unwrapped their presents. They had a marvellous dinner together, after which Elphaba put Rosey to bed. The boys stayed up a bit longer and Glinda told them all the Lurlinemas stories she'd grown up hearing from her parents as a little girl. They listened with bated breath and wide eyes, completely captivated; and they didn't even protest when Elphaba said it was bedtime. Glinda watched as her friends tucked in their boys, kissing them goodnight; and then the three of them sat down in the living room to talk.

Of course, Fiyero and Elphaba had to tell the blonde everything about how they had survived and then they wanted to know about everything that had been going on in Oz since they'd left. Slowly, they learned everything about one another's lives in the past seven years. When Glinda had to leave again, because otherwise her guards would start worrying about her, she and Elphaba both had to wipe away a few tears, neither wanting to leave the other.

"We'll be in touch," Glinda promised tearfully, embracing both her friends. "I'll be back in the next few days and we'll find a way to communicate. You're not disappearing from my life again, Elphie. I won't let you."

Elphaba chuckled softly. "Good, because I don't want to. I love you, Glin."

"I love you, too." The blonde kissed Elphaba's cheek, then waved and left. Fiyero and Elphaba kept on looking at Glinda, his arm wrapped around her waist, until the blonde disappeared around the corner; then they went back inside.

"I never thought I'd get to celebrate Lurlinemas with her ever again," the green girl confessed, leaning into her husband as they sat on the couch together, each cradling a mug of tea. "I didn't even think I'd get to _see_ her again. And you know, Yero, that I think Lurlinemas with you and the children is the best thing in the world and that I love you all to death – you're more than enough for me…"

"But Glinda being able to be with us today made it even better," he finished for her, smiling. "I know, Fae. I know how much you love us and we love you, too. More than you'll ever know." He kissed her softly. "I loved seeing Glin, too, and I'm so happy for you that you got to talk to her again. I know how bad you've felt about leaving her for the past years and I hated seeing that. I'm glad you can make it right now." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "It's unbelievable, that she found us."

"A Lurlinemas miracle," Elphaba agreed with a small chuckle. She snuggled into Fiyero's side, feeling more at peace than she could ever remember feeling before. It had been the most wonderful Lurlinemas she could ever have imagined.


End file.
